What Is Indoor Gardening?

Updated on November 9, 2016

What is Indoor Gardening? Here we have a small indoor soil garden, powered by a 218w High Output T5 Lighting Unit.

What Is Indoor Gardening?

Indoor gardening can best be described as completely overcoming the lack of natural space by creating an artificial garden environment inside your house. It is beneficial for those living in homes or apartments where there is no room to garden. It’s also perfect for gardeners who would still like to have fresh produce during the cold winter months. I’ll take you through the basics on how to setup your indoor garden, as well as the supplies you’ll need to accomplish it!

How to Setup Your Indoor Garden

Ten years ago if someone asked me “what is indoor gardening,” I’d probably just have sighed and replied, “Place a plant in the windowsill and water.” Although this is the basic idea, there is much more that you will want to consider when setting up an indoor garden of your own. Planning ahead of time will save you a lot of headache down the road!

Natural or artificial lighting: Your first step to setting up your garden is to determine your source of light. Successful indoor gardens can be built in brightly lit window sills. South facing windows are the best, but healthy gardens can also be maintained in East and West facing windows. If you face North or just don’t have available sunlight, artificial grow lighting can be used. I’ll cover more on these below.

Soil or hydroponics: The great thing about indoor gardening is that it allows you the gardener the ability for total customization. Both soil and hydroponics offer advantages to the indoor gardener.

Research, research, research: With the right amount of time and care, almost any plant can be successfully grown in indoor environments. You’ll want to research and find out what crops will fit into your space and lighting requirements. Herb gardens are perfect for small spaces and even low light conditions. On the other hand, crops such as tomatoes and beans will need much more space and higher lighting needs.

Supplies You'll Need:

Now that you’ve planned out your garden, you’ll need to pick up supplies to get growing!

Lighting: For those who have to use artificial lighting, the good news is that there are endless options for grow lights. Before I name a few, it’s always good to keep in mind that you’ll need about 100 watts of lighting for every 18”x18” patch of garden. If you looking for cheap grow lighting, the best way to go is to purchase spiral CFL bulbs from your local superstore. These can be purchased in many spectrums and do a decent job at growing indoor gardens. The more expensive route is to go online or to a local grow store and purchase lighting units specific to indoor gardens. Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium and High Output Compact Fluorescent lighting units are all very efficient and will do a great job in providing the right amount of light for your garden!

General Supplies: For soil gardeners, you’ll want to pick up a premium organic potting soil and either purchase or recycle containers for your plants to grow in. For those who are going the hydroponic route, head to your local hydroponics store and have them show you around the different products available to see what will work for you.

Now that you know how to answer the question, “what is indoor gardening,” you’ll be able to overcome the limits of any concrete jungle and setup your very own indoor garden! Good luck and best wishes on all your gardening adventures.

Types of Indoor PlantsSo maybe you don't want the hassle of a full blown garden in your home. You can still grow wonderful plants that will be little effort to you. Check out this article on the different types of indoor plants.